Venice, Piazzeta and Burano island - Day 2 (morning) - the 1st of March 2013

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Turning around from the Doge's Palace we walked along Piazzeta towards the left where we came across rows of "lonely" gondolas, which was naturally expected at such an early hour. Ponte dei Sospiri (The bridge of the Sighs) could be seen just behind Ponte della Paglia.

This early seventeenth century baroque structure is said to have been walked by sighing condemned prisoners on their way to the Palace's dungeons. 

 

Ponte della Paglia

Ponte dei Sospiri

We then turned at San Zacharia into the inner area of Castello with its intricate canals and very narrow crooked streets, so as to reach Fondamenta Nuove.

Having a map didn't help us in any way, as most bridges and no way streets were not signalled out ... so rather than having to walk in circles we just set our minds in terms of a geographical direction, hoping to reach the "Vaporetti" quay in time to catch the next motor boat going across to Burano.

 

 

 

We soon realised that Venice's beauty also lied on its little details ... and every time we looked somewhere there would be one  or more to catch our attention ... the fact that we had a tight schedule made it a rather difficult choice for us..., as we felt like strolling along ... without having to worry about the limited time.

 

Had we had more time and we would have certainly got off at the various stops along that Northern Venetian Lagoon, particularly Murano and Torcello, though our intention was primarily to step off at Burano, which we did.

It was still very quiet and though the boat was filled with foreign visitors and a few local residents, most got off before Burano.

Considered a haven for artists, Burano is known for its multi-coloured houses, fishing and embroidered needle lace.

According to the legend a fisherman is said to have resisted the charm of the mermaids singing and was therefore granted a  nuptial veil  created with the foam of the water movement, as the mermaid Queen hit his boat with her tail.

On the wedding day the fisherman's bride was highly admired and  her veil appreciated by most women on the island who later tried to  re-create the effect of the veil by using very thin thread.

The first Burano lace trace back to 1500, most of its designs being geometric or with flowers and animals.

Strolling around those small canals sided by vividly coloured homes was like entering a completely different world ... a sort of fairy-like magic world where the bright colour patterns eased any possible sadness ..., though according to yet another legend these were intended to help the fishermen find the way to their homes after coming in at night in dense fog.

(To be continued)

Piazza San Marco, Venice - Day 2 (morning) - the 1st of March 2013

We did get up very early and soon after breakfast walked into the almost empty Piazza San Marco, which allowed me to take some photos without the usual day-to-day avalanche of tourists.

One of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture, the Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is a symbol of the old Venetian wealth and power, this being the reason as to why from the 11th century onwards it was referred to as the "Chiesa d'Oro" (Church of Gold).

We started our outside visit at the North façade with the Porta dei Fiori, a thirteenth-century portal depicting a Nativity scene. 

We then started looking up towards the mosaics depicted on the five round-arched lunettes of the lateral portals, of which only the one representing the translation of the body of Saint Mark dates back to the thirteenth century, with the others being replicas of seventeenth and eighteenth centuries mosaics.

Taken from Constantinople during the fourth Crusade in 1204 the porphiry statue of the Tetrarcs is said to represent the interdependence of the four rulers though some hypothesise they could simply represent Saracens.

The Torre d'ell Orologio completed in 1449 stood imposingly to our left.

From there we walked towards the waterfront the 15th century Procuratie Vechie, standing on our right, which were former homes and offices of the procurators of St. Mark. The columns of San Marco and San Teodoro  erected in 1172 said to have been where public executions took place could be seen just in front of the Piazzeta. 

To our left stood the Venetian Gothic style Doge's Palace with its white limestone and pink marble wall, whose fine porticos naturally caught one's attention. Said to have been the residence  of the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice, no traces remain of its 9th century building, the oldest part being the façade overlooking the lagoon,whose columns have been decorated with 14th century sculptures.

The Campanile of Saint Mark's church stood up high in the centre of the Piazza, as if inviting on to climb to its balcony, where some of the best views over the Piazza and lagoon are said to be seen.

I couldn't help noticing the fierce-looking winged lion, considered the mascot of Venice.

The whole image of the Piazza, whose photos I had so often seen in the past hadn't yet settled in as being real,  while we decided to walk along the river front under its cool breeze.


Because of our tight schedule we would have to "move" fast if we wanted to see something over the two days, which would not be easy.

(To be continued)

Venice - Day 1 (by night) - the 28th of February 2013

We got to Venice fairly late at night and as we were walking towards San Marco Square, very close to where we would be staying at I risked taking some photos, which despite not being "professional" do provide an insight to what Venice looks like at night ... mysteriously beautiful ...

 

 Views from Ponte degli Scalzi

Around the Rialto area

In San Marco Square

We were rather tired as it had been a long working day followed by a late night flight, so the moment we got into our Venice hotel virtually fell to sleep soon after, in readiness to venture into the streets very early the next morning ...